An iconic city centre pub is set to get a new look for its outdoor seating area if plans are approved. Proprietors at the Oak Inn have applied for permission for a replacement pergola to enhance its offering to customers.
Once Coventry’s most infamous boozer, the Oak has been enjoying a more respectable trade after new management took over last year. In 2021 West Midlands Police demanded the landlord’s licence be revoked after officers were called to the establishment dozens of times over the space of a few months.
But thanks to the hard work of Narinder Kullar and Irina Cazanell, who took over in 2022, the Oak has been restored to a popular hotspot for city centre drinkers, with a renewed focus on good food. And now it looks set to take another step on the road to turning its fortunes around.
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According to documents submitted as part of a planning application, the Oak has had a pergola since 2007 with external seating for around 70 people. But it’s past its best.
A design statement reads: “Due to weather, wear and tear the client would like to renew the pergola system with more durable products…Customers will order their menu and walk outside and step into flushed level pergola area for external searing. The new system is going to enable them to enjoy the area with weather proofing which means they can make use of the external seating area in winter as well.”
A design and access statement tells the council that the new pergola will help make the premises look ‘neat and clean and tidy’. The upgraded system will have sides closed by 75 per cent so customers can sit outside all year round. There is no cold weather protection in the current pergola. It will be a brown colour, matching the building and existing structure.
The plans are listed as a delegated decision and is currently pending consideration. More information about the plans can be found by searching application reference PL/2023/0001549/FUL on the city council planning portal.
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